Protected blade



April 21, 1942. J. MUROS PROTECTED BLADE Filed June 2, 1939 3Sheets-Sheet '1 INVENTOR ATTO 71am V KY April 21 1942. J. MUROS IPROTECTED BLADE Filed June 2, 1959 s she gs-she'et 2 INVENTOR BY/W ATTPatented Apr. 21, 1942 PROTECTED BLADE 3 Joseph Muros, Cambridge, Mass.,assignor to Gillette Safety Razor Company, Boston, Mass., a

corporation of Delaware Application June 2, 1939, Serial No; 277,046

6 Claims. 01. 206-46);

This invention relates to the packaging of fine edge blades, such forexample as safety razor blades. It consists in a novel wrapping by whichthe user is enabled to withdraw in one motion a single blade from asealed envelope wherein the blade has been fully protected from moistureand from damage to its keen shaving edge.

Blade manufacturers desire to dispense safety razor blades in printed orlithographed envelopes having anattractive appearance and artisticappeal to the purchaser. Practical considerations render it necessary inmany cases to protectthe blade from moisture bycompletely or partiallyenclosing it in a waterproof wrapping, and to protect the keen edge ofthe blade by holdingit definitely out of contact with the folds ofitsenvelope and wrapper. Accordingly, it is the practice to attach theblade temporarily to a fiat portion of its wrapping by spots of adhesiveor by an interlocking configuration. All these expedients have beensuccessfully used in the past but at some sacrifice to the convenienceof the user in that it is sometimes inconvenient to open the sealedblade-enclosing envelope,'

more especially to find a starting place for withdrawing the bladeconvenientlyand without danger to the user or damage to the blade edgefrom contact with its wrapping.

In one aspect the present invention consists in a, sealed envelopecontaining a safety razor blade and presenting an easily located tab ortongue, the assembled unit being so organized that by merely pulling thetab the seal of the outer envelope may be broken and the blade withdrawntherefrom with its sharp edge guarded against injury from contact withthe outer envelope. I

In its preferred form a characteristic of my invention consists in ablade envelope combined with a sheet wrapper in such a manner that oneflap of the envelope and one flap of the wrapper are foldedsimultaneously into contact. with a previously folded part of theenvelope. In this way, a tongue of the wrapper may be arranged toproject freely out from under a sealed flap of the envelope and all thesteps of wrapping and sealing maybe carried out at a high rate of speedin automatic machinery.

I contemplate using either an envelope and a separate wrapper or so.shaping the envelope blank that it may have the additional function ofthe usual wrapper, or using a composite blank partly of oiled orwaxedpaper. Moreover, while the blade package herein shown is shaped torelease theblade by widthwise movement it would bewithinthe scope of myinvention so to design the envelope and wrapper asto release the bladeby endwise movement.

Various constructions of wrapping or of envelope and wrapping may beemployed to achieve the desired results and some preferred embodimentthereof will now be described for purposes .of illustration. In theaccompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank for a bladeenvelope;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a wrapper blank in position upon theenvelope blank of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a blade in position to bewrapped;

Fig. 4 corresponds toFig. 3 but shows the end tabs of the envelopefolded upon the blade;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the complete protected blade package employingthe blank of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view indicating an intermediate step in the withdrawal ofthe protected blade;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a blank for a blade envelope of modifiedconstruction shown with the wrapper blank in position thereon;

Fig. 8 corresponds to Fig. 7 and in addition shows a blade upon thewrapper blank;

Fig. 9 corresponds to Fig. 8 but shows the end tabs of the envelopefolded upon the blade;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the complete protected blade package; 30 i .7to 10 and illustrate an envelope and wrapper Figs. 11 to 14 respectivelycorrespond to Figs.

of slightly different shape;

Fig. 15 is a plan view of a blank for a combined envelope and wrapper;i5

Fig., 16 is' acorresponding View showing the blank folded once and ablade placed thereon;

Figs. 17 and l8 are corresponding views showing successive foldingsteps;

Fig. 19 is a plan view of the complete protected, blade packageemploying the blank of Fig. 15. Fig. 20 is a cross-sectional view on anenlarged scaleof thepackage shown in Fig. 19;

Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional view on the same scale correspondingto Fig.18;

Fig. 22 is a corresponding sectional view showing the package unsealedand the blade being partially withdrawn; and

Fig. 23 is a similar view showing the blade fully withdrawn.

The blade envelope blank shown in Fig. 1 is of a well-known commercialtype designed to exhibit the printed insignia of the manufacturer andcomprises a rectangular body portion 10 having oppositely arrangedtapering end tabs ll and I2, a tapering front flap I3 and a rectangularback flap I4. In preparing such a blank for automatic wrapping machineryit is customary to provide the inner face of the back flap I4 with spotsI5 of adhesive which are effective in the final wrapping step to sealthe completed envelope.

In Fig. 2 a wrapper blank of oiled or wax paper is shown as assembled inposition upon the envelope blank. The wrapper blank herein 'bladelightly to the body portion of the wrapper.

In Fig. 3 a blade of commercial type is shown in its assembled positionupon the wrapper. The

blade selected for illustration is of well-known commercial typesharpened on both longitudinal edges and having reentrant cornerrecesses which define elongated unsharpened end portions in the blade.The blade 2%] is placed upon the body I6 of the wrapper and held thereonby the adhesive spots I9 with its sharpened edge definitely locatedwithin the longitudinal edges of the body It of the wrapper and with itsunsharpened end portions projecting slightly beyond the concave endedges of the wrapper.

In the wrapping operation the end tabs II and I I2 of the envelope blankare first folded inwardly as suggested in Fig. 4 into immediate contactwith the surface of the blade. The front flap I3 of the envelope is thenfolded inwardly over the end flaps, its fold line correspondingsubstantially to the edge of the body I6 of the wrapper and making nocontact with the sharp edge of the blade 20. Finally the back flap I4 ofthe envelope and the back flap II of the wrapper are simultaneouslyfolded inwardly as indicated in Fig. 5 and the back fiap is adhesivelysecured by the spots I5 to the folded front flap I3 thus securelysealing the envelope. Similarly in this folding operation the fold lineof the two flaps is located at a definitely placed disin tance beyondthe other sharp edge of the blade 20 so that in the folding operationthere is no contact with either sharp edge of the blade. It will benoted that the tapering shape of the blade flap I! of the wrapperpermits that part .3:

of the back flap I4 of the envelope having the adhesive spots I5 to bebrought into direct contact with the folded front flap I3.

It will be noted that in the sealed envelope the tab or tongue I8projects between the spaced adhesive areas of the spots I5, out frombeyond the edge of the folded back flap I4. The tongue I8 emerges infiat condition from beneath the edge of the flap I4 within the contourof the envelope and extends slightly beyond the contour of the envelopebeing thus rendered conscipuous and easy of location by the user evenwithout a close inspection of the package. Accordingly, when he desiresto assemble the blade for use, all that is required is to pull the tabI8 upwardly breaking the seal of the envelope and swinging open the backflap I4'a'nd then in a single continuous movement drawing the wrapperwith the attached blade out from the envelope as indicated in Fig.6. Itwill be seen that in this operation the sharp edge of the advancingblade is completely guarded by its wrapper from contact with theenvelope. As soon as the blade has been moved out or partially out ofthe envelope the unsharpened ends of the blade 20 which project beyondthe concave edges of the wrapper may be grasped by the user and. theblade separated from its wrapper preparatory to insertion in the safetyrazor.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 7-10 the envelope blank 22 issimilar to that already described being provided with adhesive spots 23upon the inner face of its back flap. The oiled or waxed wrappercomprises a body portion 24 shaped to underlie the blade and a flap 25which in this instance is substantially *co-eatensive with thecorresponding flap of the envelope 22 and is provided with a tongue 26which projects beyond the of the flap. The fiap 25 of the wrap-per isperforated to provide a pair of spaced holes 2'! located in registrationwith the adhesive spots 23 of the envelope. The body 24 of the wrapperblank is provided with a pair of spots of grease or other adhesive bywhich the blade may be temporarily secured thereto.

In Fig. 8 the blade 20 is shown as positioned upon the body 24 of thewrapper which itself is superposed upon the envelope blank and it willbe noted that the cutting edges of the blade are spaced within thelongitudinal boundaries of this part of the wrapper. In Fig. 9 the endflaps of the envelope are shown as folded inwardly into direct contactwith the surface of the blade 20. The packaging of the blade iscompleted by folding the front fiap of the envelope inwardly upon thefolded end flaps and then folding the back fiap' together with the flap25 of the wrapper down upon the folded front flap of the envelope. Theadhesive spots 23 are effective through the holes 21 to seal the backflap of the envelope to the folded end flaps, or to the end flaps andfolded front flap of the envelope, while the tongue 26 of the wrapperprojects out from under the edge of the folded back flap of the 2envelope and in a position symmetrically spaced with respect to theadhesive areas 23.

A similar and an equivalent but slightly modified construction isillustrated in Figs. 11 to 14, In these figures the envelope 32 isprovided with a single spot of adhesive 33. The waxed or oiled wrapper34-35 is provided with a projecting tongue 38 with single hole 27registering with the adhesive spot 33 of the envelope. When the envelopeand wrapper are folded upon the blade as suggested in Figs. 12-14 theadhesive spot 33 acting through the hole 35 seals the back flap of theenvelope to the front flap directly in line with the projecting tab 35.The protected blade packages'of Figs. 10 and 14 are adapted to be 1opened by seizing the tongue 26 or 36 and pulling it upwardly to breakthe seal of the envelope, and continuing the movement until theblade-attached wrapper is withdrawn from the now unsealed envelope.

An important advantage of the construction of Figs. 7-14 is that theframing of the adhesive spots 23 or 33 by means of the holes 21 or 31 inthe flap of the wrapper tends to break the adhesive seal effectively andwithout the formation of shreds of the envelope material which mightotherwise be drawn across and dull the sharp edge of the blade.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 15-23 envelope and wrapper arein effect combined .in a single blank of the contour shown in Fig. 15.

flap 43. The front flap of the blank is extended into a series ofconnected sections or panels 44, 45, 46 and 41 herein shown as definedby their respective fold lines. The panels 44 and 45 are of the samewidth and slightly narrower than the body portion 46 of the blank. Thepanel 46 is wider being of the same width as the body portion 40 andprovided with concave end edges.

terminates in a projecting tongue 48. The back flap 43 is provided witha pair of adhesive spots 49 and the panel 46 is. provided on its undersurface with a pair of spots of grease 50 or other adhesive by which theblade may be temporarily attached thereto.

The end panel or flap 41 has tapering edges and The blank shown in Fig.15 may comprise a single sheet of paper of uniform character or thewrapper portion including the panel 45, 46, 41 and the tongue 48 may bewaxed or oiled or it may be cut from separate material and secure to themain blank by adhesive or otherwise.

In packaging a blade the blank of Fig. 15 is first doubled by beingfolded on the line separating the panels 44 and 45, thus superposing thepanel 45 over thepanel 44, the panel 46 over the body portion 46, andthe tapering panel or flap 4'! over the back. flap 43, all as shown inFig. 16. The blade 2|] may then beplaced upon the uppermost surface ofthe panel 46 and secured thereto by the grease spots 50. In the nextoperation the front flap which now comprises the superposed panels 44and 45 is folded inwardly upon the blade as shown in Fig. 17 thuslocating two plys beneath the blade and two plys above it. In the nextfolding step the two end tabs 4| and 42 are folded inwardly upon thefront flap as shown in Fig. 18 and the package is shown at this stage incross-section in Fig. 21.

' In the final folding step the back fiap43 and the flap 41 aresimultaneously folded down upon thefolded end tabs 4| and 42 and theback flap 43 is sealed to the end tabs by the adhesive spots 49 whichclear the edges of the flap 41 by reason of its tapering shape. In thisfolding step the tongue 48 projects between the spaced adhesive areas ofthe spots 49 outward from beneath the edge of the back flap 43 andbeyond the contour of the sealed envelope as well shown in Fig. 19 andalso in Fig. 20. A two-ply envelope or envelope and wrapper is thusprovided in which the blade is fully protected against moisture by theinnerwrapper ply while the outer ply is suitable for printed insignia.

in the condition shown in Fig. 23 wherein the blade 20 is entirelyexposed and maybe easily grasped by its unsharpened endedges whichproject beyond the concave edges of the panel 46 and removed for use ina safety razor.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described several preferredembodiments thereof for illustrative purposes but not by Way oflimitation, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A protected blade having an envelope with oppositely arranged flapsfolded thereover, a

wrapper of sheet material attached to the blade and folded with atapered flap interposed between the superposed envelope flaps andextended beyond them, the envelope flaps being sealed to each otheroutside the boundaries of the interposed tapered wrapper flap.

2. A protected blade having an attached wrapper folded with portionsabove and below the blade and with a projecting tongue at one edge ofthe wrapper, the blade and its wrapper being enclosed in an envelopehaving flaps folded between the blade and one side of the wrapper and aflap sealed in spaced areas with the tongue of the wrapper projectingoutwardly from beneath the said flap of the envelope between said sealedareas, whereby the flap may be lifted with the tongue and the envelopeopened.

3. A blade envelope having back and front flaps. folded over each otherupon an enclosed blade and sealed in spaced areas, and a wrapper ofsheet material folded with leaves above and below the blade within theenvelope, the lower folded part being attached to the blade and theupper folded part overlying one of the envelope flaps and having atongue in one edge projecting out from the envelope between said sealedareasand in position to be grasped by the user and lifted with theoverlying flap of the envelope.

4. A protected blade having an enclosing envelope and a waterproof blankof sheet material towhich the blade is temporarily attached and whichhas portions folded above andbelow the blade, the envelope having oneflap folded over the blade beneath the upper leaf of the wrapper andanother flap folded with a portion of said blank upon the envelope fiapfirst-mentioned and sealed thereto at spaced points, and the blankhaving a tongue in one edge projecting outwardly beyond the flaps of theenvelope and emerging between the sealed points of the envelope flapwithin the contour of the envelope.

5. A protected blade having an envelope with flaps folded over all fouredges of the blade, and

a waxed paper wrapper folded with portions above and below the blade,the upper portion covering three of the envelope flaps and having atongue in one edge projecting out beneath the edge of the fourth flap ofsaid envelope and within the contour of the envelope, the said fourthflap being sealed to the envelope at points on opposite sides of thezone in which the said tongue lies.

6. A protected blade of approximately rectangular outline having aninner wrapper of waterproof paper comprising portions folded widthwiseand lying above and below the blade, one of said portions including acentrally disposed tongue projecting outwardly beyond one edge of theenclosed blade, and an outer envelope including two overlapping flapssealed to each other by spaced adhesive spots located substantiallysymsimultaneously broken by lifting said tongue.

JOSEPH MUROS.

